Idaho Spud's Likes

May 2018

Sam Harris on Morality and the Christian GodThe debate between Sam Harris and William Lane Craig at Notre Dame in 2011 was particularly notable for one particular rebuttal by Harris to Craig, well into the debate. Those 10 or so minutes amoun…DiscussionSam Harris on Morality and the Christian God2 LikesNever ApproachphotoNever Approach4 LikesBig Bang vs Electric Universe, Lawrence Krau…I wrote to Lawrence Krauss during the discussion of Big Bang vs Electric Universe:
"Thurs, 5:54 PM, Lawrence, I belong to Atheist Nexus and a rather ugly debate began about the Big Bang Theory. One f…DiscussionBig Bang vs Electric Universe, Lawrence Krau…4 LikesGoogle Duplex: AI That Passes the Turing Tes…Google has been polishing its phone assistant software to a fare-thee-well, to the point where its capacities are becoming both exciting and disturbing. Its new platform, "Google Duplex," can handle…DiscussionGoogle Duplex: AI That Passes the Turing Tes…3 LikesLetter to Rep and Senators Regarding New Con…The following letter has just been posted to the following Congresspersons:
Congresswoman Marcia Fudge
Senator Sherrod Brown
Senator Rob Portman
and will be shortly followed by hard-copy letters se…DiscussionLetter to Rep and Senators Regarding New Con…5 LikesNational Day of Shame

All your Western theologies, the whole mythology of them, are based on the concept of God as a senile delinquent.”

TennesseeWilliams

Hey, it’s…

BlogNational Day of Shame5 LikesIs it OK to Use Cannabis? A Parent's Guide

It’s finally happened. The smoking gun has been discovered in unique, utterly new evidence, the data has been verified, all the tests confirm it … THERE IS A GOD. Now what? For…

BlogSo, What If…?4 Likes

April 2018

Christianity Founded by a MurdererConstantine did what?
As he gained power, he became more suspicious of even family and friends. He ordered them to be put to death by various means.
Maximian
His father-in-law
He impelled…DiscussionChristianity Founded by a Murderer1 LikeAnother Passover: Jews indulge in food and fa

"I have only a small flickering light to guide me in the darkness of a thick forest. Up comes a theologian and blows it out."

March 2018

"I have met some highly intelligent believers, but history has no record to say that [s]he knew or understood the mind of god. Yet this is precisely the qualification which the godly…

BlogThe Thin Veneer of Deeply Held Religious Beli3 LikesThe earliest starlight of the young UniverseAnnounced in Nature, February 2018: The earliest signs of light from the first stars in the young Universe were detected in 2016 by astronomers searching the skies for evidence of first generation st…DiscussionThe earliest starlight of the young Universe4 LikesTech that reacts faster than humansMy son, Craig, is a design engineer for Panasonic working on a project that catches my imagination and I hope will be a benefit to drivers of all ages, classes, and occupations.
"Panasonic is also b…DiscussionTech that reacts faster than humans4 LikesRIP Billy Graham, merchant of delusion

My stomach has been roiling with nausea, my eyes perpetually rolling, at the outpouring of religiosity that accompanied the passing of the most successful fantasy merchant of the last century,…

BlogRIP Billy Graham, merchant of delusion6 Likes

February 2018

E-cigarettes poison usersAerosol mass concentrations (mg/m3) for the detected metals spanned several orders of magnitude and exceeded current health-based limits in close to 50% or more of the samples for Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb.…DiscussionE-cigarettes poison users1 LikeUsing a laser to wirelessly charge a smartph…<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180220143432.htm">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180220143432.htm</a>
Summary:Engineers have for the first time developed a method to safely charge a smartphone wirelessly using a laser.DiscussionUsing a laser to wirelessly charge a smartph…1 LikeComputers aid discovery of new, inexpensive…<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180219124803.htm">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180219124803.htm</a>
Summary:Computers have helped researchers develop a new phosphor that can make LEDs cheaper and render colors more accurately. Research…DiscussionComputers aid discovery of new, inexpensive…1 LikeShot may help shield against shingles<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180216174656.htm">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180216174656.htm</a>
Summary:Two vaccines are available to help prevent shingles, which can affect anyone who has had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine;…DiscussionShot may help shield against shingles1 LikeNear-Term Technology ThreatInfocalypse Now
Our near-term AI threat isn't direct military attack, like Terminator movies. We're gripped now by early-stage reality manipulation actions. Some of this computational propaganda, lik…DiscussionNear-Term Technology Threat1 Like